Regroup/Refocus for 2013

[raf]

Hi Annasmom, yes no hear by italian television... effectively.. no enough documents abt a probable italian connection... however I know that maybe is necessary more time, because before of a financial and human effort for the Anna case, they wish to analyze very well the probabilities that Anna could be in Italy.... the reporter was born in USA ( maybe from italian parents) and back in Italy with the mother when he was a boy... so he said me; and also said that was no easy .... because needing many documents and father permission because he-the child-was in minor age...
but.. obviously .. it was a its thought...
all the best,
raf

 

[OzzieMum]

We have not heard from the Italian television station, and the probable reason is that they did not find enough of an Italian connection to want to run the story. I thought perhaps having Raf on the spot would help the "local" angle, but actually our evidence connecting Anna with Italy is pretty slender.

The Freedom of Information Act is investigating Brody and they have opened a file on Anna (there has been an FBI file for many years, but I think it's OK for a new one to be opened.)

Recently I was looking for something in the book SFA and I thought that the book really needs an index. I contacted a professional indexer, but after getting his rates, I thought that present sales of the book probably don't justify this expense. Do you think I should try again to interest commercial publishers in the book?

Hi Annasmom,

I think it would be worth while trying commercial publishers.

Before I bought SFA from Lulu, I went in to Borders Book store here in Australia and all though they didn't have it on the shelf, the sales girl looked on her computer and said she could order it in for me. I did email Borders to try to get them to put it on the shelf but didn't hear back from them. I'll try sending them another email.

 

[Cubby]

I wanted to remind everyone today, May 25, is National Missing Childrens Day.

I have my porch light on to 'light the way home' for missing children. Please join me in doing so and showing your support for missing children and their families.

Extra prayers today Anna finds her way home.

 

[Cubby]

Ran into a neighbor of mine a little while ago and asked she put her porch light on for missing children. Glad I did because she told me she noticed my searchingforanna.com bumper sticker and asked about it. Gave me the opportunity to tell her a bit about Anna's case and what National Missing Childrens is all about.

My family is joining and putting on their porch lights too.

 

[Reels]

Someone may know something and phone rather than email or contact an authority figure/organization. Just trying to simplify the means of hearing from a potential tip ...an old person knowing of Anna may feel that by phoning is the easier route...

Sk

I don't know how much it costs to get a 1-800 number, but I do know you can get a very basic phone line for very cheap. You have to call the phone company directly and tell them you want just a basic phone line with no extras, no voice mail or call waiting or anything at all. I did it in Chicago and it cost around $12/month. I got an answering machine at Walmart for pretty cheap, and hooked that up. They don't advertize it as an option, which is why you have to call directly and explain what you want.

I'm sorry, I stopped at this post above to answer it, and I have been wondering: has anyone contacted Unsolved Mysteries? They're on again and they do recent cases as well as give follow-up and "solved" old cases.

There was something else I was thinking of. Oh! Does your organization have tax exemption or anything like that? If so, you could approach Kinkos to donate free flyers of Anna. You could ask Walmart to put her picture up on their "missing" wall. Maybe get a corporate sponsor, like Papa John's? They put missing children on their flyers. I also wondered, what if you contacted universities about putting her flyer in their newspapers or alumni magazines? All kinds of people advertize in those and get them, that would reach potentially around the world. I know my college had people from Kenya and Nigeria, all over Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. and we were just a smaller college of about 2,000.


eta: if you have tax exemption, you could maybe talk to the phone company about a discount for your organization. And maybe get her picture on phone books!

 

[Annasmom]

I don't know how much it costs to get a 1-800 number, but I do know you can get a very basic phone line for very cheap. You have to call the phone company directly and tell them you want just a basic phone line with no extras, no voice mail or call waiting or anything at all. I did it in Chicago and it cost around $12/month. I got an answering machine at Walmart for pretty cheap, and hooked that up. They don't advertize it as an option, which is why you have to call directly and explain what you want.

I'm sorry, I stopped at this post above to answer it, and I have been wondering: has anyone contacted Unsolved Mysteries? They're on again and they do recent cases as well as give follow-up and "solved" old cases.

There was something else I was thinking of. Oh! Does your organization have tax exemption or anything like that? If so, you could approach Kinkos to donate free flyers of Anna. You could ask Walmart to put her picture up on their "missing" wall. Maybe get a corporate sponsor, like Papa John's? They put missing children on their flyers. I also wondered, what if you contacted universities about putting her flyer in their newspapers or alumni magazines? All kinds of people advertize in those and get them, that would reach potentially around the world. I know my college had people from Kenya and Nigeria, all over Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. and we were just a smaller college of about 2,000.


eta: if you have tax exemption, you could maybe talk to the phone company about a discount for your organization. And maybe get her picture on phone books!

Thank you for posting, Reels. We are not really an organization, just a family, but we will consider your suggestions and we always welcome a fresh look at the search for Anna. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has an 800 number, 1-800-THELOST, which is widely advertised, so we pretty much depend on that for phone contact. They have also circulated Anna's picture and continue to do so. "Unsolved Mysteries" is a good idea; I don't know if anybody has contacted them yet.

 

[Reels]

No problem. I am trying to think of ways to get Anna's picture out there. I'll keep thinking of things to do. Actually, have Anna's pictures been circulated with a picture of her dad and/or GB? GB looked fairly distinctive in the pictures I saw, maybe his picture would generate some responses? Technically, it should be ok, since you are just searching for his real identity, and possibly family, to aid in the search for Anna. I remember "Emanuel's" picture was circulated in the search for Elizabeth Smart.

 

[Reels]

K, I contacted Texas Equusearch again, to follow up. I explained that I was from here, and that there was no recollection of the outcome of the last correspondence. Then I explained her case a little, explained that we'd like help to search the creek so that we could say once and for all whether Anna is in it. I explained the creek had been searched several times with no evidence of Anna, but that there were doubts lingering in some people's minds. I also explained that we understand the cost of such a search, so we were wondering if they'd be in the area any time in the future, and if so, would they be willing to come out to help look for her. Then I said something about, if it's not possible, are their any ideas they could suggest to us for searching, so we can rule the creek out.

I can't remember what else I wrote. Something about Anna's family is sincere in their efforts and desire to locate Anna, as evidenced by the last 3 decades of nonstop searching. (To indicate that this isn't a request on a whim, but you really want to find her, and you have never stopped looking).


I hope that was ok.

I also asked Unsolved Mysteries if they'd consider airing Anna's case, and tried to make it look like a "good" story for tv, with the intrigue of her ill father and the self-proclaimed messiah George Brody (who's identity we still do not know). That seems like the kind of thing they like to air, you know, with all the twists and what not. I was trying to think of a "hook" that would peak their interest.

I'm not very good at this, and I hope no one minds that I contacted these people. I figured, they can contact Annasmom, Doogie or Joe Ford for further information, through the searchingforanna site. But I also figured, you guys have so much on your plates, and it wouldn't hurt me to just put out the little emails, seeing as TE had been contacted before.

 

[Annasmom]

No problem. I am trying to think of ways to get Anna's picture out there. I'll keep thinking of things to do. Actually, have Anna's pictures been circulated with a picture of her dad and/or GB? GB looked fairly distinctive in the pictures I saw, maybe his picture would generate some responses? Technically, it should be ok, since you are just searching for his real identity, and possibly family, to aid in the search for Anna. I remember "Emanuel's" picture was circulated in the search for Elizabeth Smart.

GB's picture appears on line in several places and in the book SFA; we would rather not have family pictures (including those of GW) publicized beyond what they are at present because of privacy issues, but since we know nothing about GB and he doesn't seem to have any family, certainly we'd have no objection to having the spotlight on him wherever that might be possible.

 

[Annasmom]

K, I contacted Texas Equusearch again, to follow up. I explained that I was from here, and that there was no recollection of the outcome of the last correspondence. Then I explained her case a little, explained that we'd like help to search the creek so that we could say once and for all whether Anna is in it. I explained the creek had been searched several times with no evidence of Anna, but that there were doubts lingering in some people's minds. I also explained that we understand the cost of such a search, so we were wondering if they'd be in the area any time in the future, and if so, would they be willing to come out to help look for her. Then I said something about, if it's not possible, are their any ideas they could suggest to us for searching, so we can rule the creek out.

I can't remember what else I wrote. Something about Anna's family is sincere in their efforts and desire to locate Anna, as evidenced by the last 3 decades of nonstop searching. (To indicate that this isn't a request on a whim, but you really want to find her, and you have never stopped looking).


I hope that was ok.

I also asked Unsolved Mysteries if they'd consider airing Anna's case, and tried to make it look like a "good" story for tv, with the intrigue of her ill father and the self-proclaimed messiah George Brody (who's identity we still do not know). That seems like the kind of thing they like to air, you know, with all the twists and what not. I was trying to think of a "hook" that would peak their interest.

I'm not very good at this, and I hope no one minds that I contacted these people. I figured, they can contact Annasmom, Doogie or Joe Ford for further information, through the searchingforanna site. But I also figured, you guys have so much on your plates, and it wouldn't hurt me to just put out the little emails, seeing as TE had been contacted before.

Thank you so much for contacting Unsolved Mysteries. I suppose there's no harm in contacting Texas Equusearch, though in my mind and in the minds of Anna's brothers, the creek has been ruled out because of literally hundreds of searches which failed to turn up so much as a rubber boot.

 

[Reels]

Ok, I understand. I'll think of ways to get GB's picture out there. I wonder if putting him on any geneology sites with the statement that we're looking for surviving relatives would work. hm...I'll have to think of this some more.

No problem.

Oh I agree about the creek. I believe you guys 100%. I was thinking that maybe it could help establish she'd been kidnapped. I wish it were easier to convince other people, though I guess it is probably the most important that the people looking for Anna know she isn't there. It's hard for me to know that people will flat-out deny the obvious. lol

 

[Reels]

Ok. I got an answer from Unsolved Mysteries. Unfortunately, they aren't filming right now. But, they will keep Anna's story filed for future episodes.

Thank you for contacting UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. We appreciate your story
submission, however, at this time we are not producing new episodes of
our program. We will keep your story in our “future segment” file
and if we resume production, we will review it at that time.

Sincerely,

The UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Staff

 

[Annasmom]

Ok, I understand. I'll think of ways to get GB's picture out there. I wonder if putting him on any geneology sites with the statement that we're looking for surviving relatives would work. hm...I'll have to think of this some more.

No problem.

Oh I agree about the creek. I believe you guys 100%. I was thinking that maybe it could help establish she'd been kidnapped. I wish it were easier to convince other people, though I guess it is probably the most important that the people looking for Anna know she isn't there. It's hard for me to know that people will flat-out deny the obvious. lol

I think they do this not so much because they are in denial as because they don't want to think about it any more. Certainly I can't blame them, but their imagined answer to the mystery seems arbitrary to me.

Thank you for writing the TV show; nothing ventured, nothing gained!

 

[one_hooah_wife]

I did a search for "Gene Austin" and Eugene Austin on the board here and couldn't find where this angle had been explored. I came across the story of this man, who in the 1970's made a career and a mission snatching children for one parent or another ... mostly for non-custodial fathers. He had no qualms about this and proclaimed himself "Mean Gene" the meanest man in North America, boasting over 200 abductions. I know that he went to jail for a couple of them but I get the impression that back then, no one really thought what he was doing was that wrong -- except for the parents he took from. I did a quick search for a "victims" website ... or any kind of forum where he was discussed but couldn't find one. I only found this yesterday and I have company today. I thought that some of you who need a good fleshy lead to gnaw at might like to know about this man. I have Newspaper Archives subscription if you find anything on there and need me to get it ... just PM me and I will check in. Here are a couple of articles that I found on Google News. I cannot believe that I have never heard of this man whose "work" was apparently prolific!

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...YpMuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WKEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3072,747030

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...CMhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iGcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6842,6823852

Oh boy ... before I posted I did one more search and found a blog from 2008 that looks to be from Mean Gene himself and includes his contact information ... that might prove to be important later! Man, I already knew I didn't like him but he seems like a real piece of work --if the post is genuine.

http://www.weirdamerica.com/2008/01/23/weird-america-save-zippy-the-pinhead/#comment-46783

 

[Dr. Doogie]

Very interesting.

 

[Cubby]

WOW! Definately an avenue to explore. I can't believe we haven't heard of him before. I don't know that I have ever run across this guys name in any cases here at WS.

Dr. Doogie, if you think this is viable perhaps a new thread for this guy? Let's keep that in mind. If need be and we start a new thread I can always move the discussion posts on this topic to a new thread. In the mean time, let's keep them here so they are in one place.

tia

 

[Dr. Doogie]

I would think that until we can establish (at least) a plausible link to Anna, we should probably keep this line of investigation in this thread. If we do find any reason to think that he did have a connection to he two Georges, then we can start a seperate thread. (IMHO)

One thing that jumps out at me about this story is how, at a fleeting glance in a passing vehicle, he could be mistaken for Brody. The article specifically says that this man would snatch the child with the father present to eleviate any possible legal entanglements. And then I think about the young man and the old man in the van...

 

[one_hooah_wife]

I woke up at 2AM and sufficed to say, I've done a lot of reading over the past few hours. During the time that Anna went missing, there were several underground organizations that participated in parental abduction, some more clandestine than others. I thought I might try to link the name Damron with any of these organizations since, at least cryptically, the Squibb indicated (v. con, Italy, passport office) he was a contact person.

I don't think that anyone here believes that Anna drowned; otherwise we would have no reason to be looking for her -- aside from the compelling mystery that is GB. I think about it like this: if it hadn't been for the proximity of Anna to the creek and the heavy rains that day ... what then would have been the focus of the police investigation? It would ultimately be the Georges, no doubt. I think that would bring into question the likelihood that these two could have pulled off the abduction (possibly international) without help. It seems far more likely that they had help. We can continue to search for the real identity of GB, (and believe me ... I want to know too) and still never come close to finding Anna. I am working on a list, "the usual suspects" of people and organizations involved in providing support or otherwise facilitating parental abductions during that time. I have learned that many of these operations had legitimate or quasi-legitimate businesses providing a front. This also allowed money to be funneled in without drawing attention. One of the more interesting articles I read stated that frequently the front companies had very similar names as well known local monopolies. The example that they gave (unclear of whether this was real or made-up) was "NJ Bell." The idea was that anyone looking for evidence would likely interpret the ledger entry or canceled check as a payment to the local phone company. This article, written from interviews with several former underground snatchers, also mentioned that higher-ups in certain father's rights organizations served as liaisons and after that contact was made only in person or via mail to a private post office box. It went on to say that sometimes it could take up to a year or more to plan and that the parent (in most of these cases, the father) had very little input into how, where and even when the abduction would take place. These people really think of themselves as vigilantes charged with righting the wrongs of a pro-mother court system. I have read online that former FBI agent turned wack-a-doo, Ted Gunderson was involved with some of these groups in the late 70's and 80's, which if true -- would have been during his years active with the agency. I was familiar with the name Ted Gunderson, as I own a book that he wrote called "How to Find Anyone Anywhere." I bought this book in 1992 when I was helping my mother search for her adopted brother. I have used it as a reference many many times through the years - even on this case! I was really shocked to learn about his involvement ... and to find that he has become a conspiracy theorist icon. Dr.Doogie, he is even mentioned in connection with the Johnny Gosch case. I think that it was on the PK Papers website www.thepkpapers.com that I read he has, in recent years, used his knowledge of "The Underground" to help families of missing children. I would be interested to know if he recognized GB or was at all familiar with this case.

Okay, so that is all that I have right now.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

I am very familiar with Ted Gunderson. We have struggled hard to keep any ideas we have had about what happened to Anna away from the realm of the Kooky and, unfortunately, Gunderson is the King of Kooky. For example, Ted has published that he believes that kidnapped children are being used as slave laborers in secret underground mines under Area 51 being run by a race of reptilian aliens.

On the surface, Gunderson's creditials look impeccable, but he has used those to draw in unsuspecting people such as ourselves into his web of weirdness. We should avoid him like the plague.

One_hooah_wife: Your analysis about "What if there was no creek..." is spot on. The info about the front companies is excellent. Good job!

 

[one_hooah_wife]

I am very familiar with Ted Gunderson. We have struggled hard to keep any ideas we have had about what happened to Anna away from the realm of the Kooky and, unfortunately, Gunderson is the King of Kooky. For example, Ted has published that he believes that kidnapped children are being used as slave laborers in secret underground mines under Area 51 being run by a race of reptilian aliens.

On the surface, Gunderson's creditials look impeccable, but he has used those to draw in unsuspecting people such as ourselves into his web of weirdness. We should avoid him like the plague.

One_hooah_wife: Your analysis about "What if there was no creek..." is spot on. The info about the front companies is excellent. Good job!

Thanks Doogie! I understand what you are saying! I defer to your judgment. I certainly wouldn't want to invite Satan to church! I only say this now as a caveat, really. As I said, I had read his book and was surprised to find out that he turned out to be (always was?) quite the wack-a-doo! Even though he is what he is now, at one time he had some real power and influence that he apparently used to help conceal children from their custodial parents, as well as, make legal issues "go away" from organization leaders. It made me wonder who else in similar positions did the same. I have long ago placed GB into the conspiracy theorist, "tin foil hat wearing" category ... that is why I wondered if GB were looking for an organization to help, that he and Gunderson might had crossed paths but even as I am typing that it sounds very far fetched!

I don't post here unless I have something to contribute but I want y'all to know that I am always thinking of this case. Sometimes I'll appear to be zoned out crocheting and suddenly reach for my laptop ... that is what my husband calls a "Grombach revelation". Grombach refers to someone that I thought might have been GB and whom I researched for about a year. When my husband was last in Iraq and we would talk for too long about the newest thing that I found either leaning towards or against the Grombach theory. Even though I do not believe that GB and John Grombach are the same person (though they do bare certain similarities, were of different heights/builds and had different eye color) he still calls it that, half teasing, half concerned over my obsession with the disappearance of a little girl named Anna (even though I am a few years younger) whom I've never met. This is something to which, I know, everyone here can relate!